Homeless Veteran Gave Tent and More to Another Homeless Veteran

Homeless veteran has tent slashed but Worcester's ex-soldiers make sure he has a roof over his head 
Worcester News UK 
James Connell
February 15, 2016

John described the kindness show to him and the change in his circumstances as a 'great relief' and 'overwhelming.'

A HOMELESS veteran who had his tent slashed by vandals has a roof over his head after Worcester's ex-soldiers rallied behind him.

The veteran, who wanted to be known as "John" rather than by his real name, was gutted after returning in the pouring rain to his slashed tent in woods near Worcester Racecourse.

Two slits were cut into the two-man tent on Saturday, February 6 and, as a result, the tent was no longer able to keep out the water.

The 60-year-old, a former corporal in Royal Corps of Signals, by now drenched and cold, came to the Postal Order in Foregate Street, Worcester to try and get dry and find a replacement tent.

The next day Mr Carney, aged 44, of Merriman's Hill, Worcester, a reserve veteran with the Royal Engineers, gave John his own tent. 

read more here and discover how this story gets even better

Homeless Veteran Lost All Except Hope From a Christmas Tree

Homeless man with Christmas tree forced to move from expressway after group of men take donations
WDSU News
By Jennifer Crockett
Dec 24, 2015

John said it’s better to donate to local homeless service centers, rather than drop off donations, where homeless men and women live. But the best help, he said, is simply giving a smile or taking a second to say hello.

NEW ORLEANS —Two weeks ago, WDSU met John, a homeless veteran living under the Pontchartrain Expressway. The Christmas tree he had bought and set up outside of his tent had been thrown away that morning by city sanitation workers.

The day after the first report aired, viewers stepped in and donated new trees, decorations, even gifts, including clothing and food. But those donations ended up turning John’s tree into a target, forcing him to seek shelter elsewhere.

“It was a very sad moment,” said John, describing what lead to his decision to move.

On Thursday, John said a group of five men swarmed his tree.

“I heard some commotion by the Christmas tree. A lady was there with her husband,” he said.

The couple dropped off about 20 packages, which were immediately stolen by the group of men.

“I don't even know what was in them. It's really sad,” he said.

All he could do was sit back and watch.
for happier ending read more here

Welfare Check on WWII Veteran Opened Hearts of Police Officers

LA Police Officers Surprise Lonely WWII Veteran With Christmas Tree, Decor and Presents
ABC News
By Avianne Tann
Dec 22, 2015

They went back on Monday to check up on Perry and to deliver a few Christmas gifts -- clothes, slippers, crossword puzzles and cookies -- from some officers in the department, Nunez said.

Los Angeles Police Department officers surprised 94-year-old World War II veteran

Herman Perry with a Christmas tree, lights and presents on Dec. 21, 2015.

Two Los Angeles Police Department officers recently surprised a World War II veteran who was alone for the holidays with a Christmas tree, lights, presents and cheer.

Officers Able Torres and Natali Nunez first met 94-year-old Herman Perry last Friday when they responded to a call from Perry's neighbor Amy who was concerned for his welfare after she hadn't seen him in about a week, Nunez told ABC News today.

"Amy was aware he was recently released from a VA hospital due to an injury from a fall, so she was concerned when she hadn't heard from him as usual," Nunez said. "She tried calling, knocking on the apartment and getting touch with his niece over in Massachusetts, but no one had heard from him, so she was really concerned."

Nunez said she and Torres breathed a "heavy sigh of relief" when they entered his home and found Perry "sitting up wide-eyed and watching TV." It turned out that he hadn't been wearing his hearing aids and wasn't expecting any visitors since he had no nearby family and friends, she said.

The officer added that Perry was alone for the holidays and that his only family was on the other coast of the country.
read more here

Three Tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Grinch Stole Christmas

But just like the real Grinch, this story has a great twist!

Neighbors restore Christmas after military veteran family is robbed
FOX 5 News
December 22, 2015


SPRING, Texas - Just days before Christmas, a Grinch stole the holiday spirit away from a Houston area military family.

While former Marine Joshua Beaver and his family were out to diner, a thief broke in their house and took their TV, electronics and every gift under their tree.

After serving three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, the wounded veteran never expected his own countrymen to cause him such pain. “It's been a struggle… And to be robbed at Christmas is hard,” Beaver said.

“I gave everything I could to this country.” Said Beaver, adding “For bleeding in Iraq and all those tours I did, it’s hard to come home and feel like your own countrymen stole from you.”
read more here

Nice Veteran Saved Lady, Naughty Thieves Stole His Wallet

Thieves steal veteran's wallet as he saves choking woman 
AJC.com
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015

A Houston-area war veteran was doing a good deed when someone ripped him off.

Bob Carbajal, 62, was having a meal when he noticed a woman was choking and had stopped breathing nearby.

His 22 years of military service came in handy as he stuck his hand down her throat and manually removed what was choking her.

When the woman regained her ability to breathe, Carbajal went to grab his phone and wallet –which he’d left on the table— and both were gone.
read more here

PTSD Veteran Helped At Walmart By Police Officers

Frisco Police Officers Help Homeless Veteran 
December 18, 2015

FRISCO (CBSDFW.COM) – Police officers in Frisco responding to a call at Walmart went above and beyond, according to those who saw their act of kindness for a homeless veteran.

Witnesses said the veteran appeared to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Rather than merely ask him to leave the store, officers bought the man some new clothing and necessities. One shopper took a photo and posted it to the Frisco Police Department’s Facebook page, thanking them. read more here

Homeless UK Veteran Inspired Supermarket Employees To Help

Homeless veteran caught shoplifting inspires Tesco staff to help people living on the streets
The Star UK
Sam Jackson
December 15, 2015

Rachel said: “We had crisps, bread from our bakery, pancakes, croissants, apples, bananas and oranges. One of our supervisors had bought some sandwiches out of his own money and we gave those out with tea and coffee.

Staff from Tesco on Saville Street in Sheffield gave out food and clothes for the homeless in Sheffield on Friday night.

When staff at a Sheffield supermarket found a homeless veteran stealing food from their shelves, they didn’t call the police.

Instead, they provided the hungry man with tea, cake and a roast turkey dinner – and listened to how he came to be living on the streets.

His story inspired staff at Tesco on Savile Street, in Burngreave, to do more to help the homeless men and women in the city.

And on Friday evening they took to the streets of the city centre to hand out food and hot drinks.

Rachel Liszka, the store’s community champion, said: “We have recently noticed the rise in homeless people in Sheffield and decided it is time to help.

“We had a homeless veteran come into our shop who was caught shoplifting because he was hungry.
read more here

Homeless Veteran Receives Act of Kindness

Homeless Veteran Brought To Tears By This Man's Act of Kindness 
by Inside Edition
November 18, 2015

A homeless veteran broke down in tears after a kind-hearted stranger bought him his first meal in over a day.

Max Zahir was at a gas station when a veteran came up to him and asked him for spare change so he could buy food. He told Max that he had not eaten since the day before.

Max told the man to hop in his car and drove him to a fast food restaurant so he could get something to eat.

He offered to buy the down-on-his-luck veteran a meal everyday until he was able to get back on his feet.
read more here

New York Homeless Veteran Lectured by Idiots Showed True Kindness

Shocking video shows NY man throwing food on homeless vet 
Published time: 25 Sep, 2015

A homeless veteran begs for change on a New York street. Passers-by ignore him, giving their money to a teen begging nearby. One man dumps his takeout on the unfortunate veteran, showing what he thinks of his service. You won’t believe what happened next…

The veteran asks the teen to “watch his stuff” as he cleans up at a nearby shop. A few minutes later he returns, bringing a slice of pizza for the boy. Little did he know that the “homeless teen” was actually part of a social experiment, set up by two brothers from Brooklyn. Mohammed “Moe” and Etayyim “ET” Etayyim became YouTube celebrities for filming a series of prank videos starting in early 2014. They have also made seven “social experiment” videos highlighting child abuse, bigotry and the treatment of the homeless. read more here
 Get a job? That is what an officer said to a homeless veteran. He apologized. The truth is, he had a job and risked his life to save others. Then another idiot dumps his food on the veteran while giving him a lecture. Think about that now that you know what this homeless veteran ended up doing for the teenager he thought was homeless too.

Navy Veteran's Act of Kindness Solved Problem and Warmed Hearts

There are so many stories all over the country about acts of kindness by our veterans. This kind of story is not as rare as you may think.

This is one of those stories.

A Navy Veteran saw a family in need of simple-human kindness at an airport. He not only helped solve their problem, he touched their hearts.

Read the rest of the story on Mighty by Lauren Davis When a Veteran Stood Up for My Son at the Airport

"I was in a fog, sorting through my emotions and attempting to create an action plan. Then a man who overheard this conversation got up and started talking to the attendant. He was dressed in a retired Navy veteran sweatshirt and hat. I watched him, shocked by his kindness. We were complete strangers to him and he still tried to help us. But again, the attendant used her desensitized robotic voice to tell him the flight was full, she could not accommodate us, sit down.

All I could think of was to call the airline to contact a representative for help. I didn’t notice, but the Navy veteran left the gate. As I sat on hold with the airline, he returned within moments with a supervisor. He explained what had happened, and the supervisor immediately removed the attendant from her post."

That is just a small part of this story.  It gets even better when you understand exactly what happened before this part and afterwards. And oh, by the way Mighty is looking for your stories celebrating the human spirit too.

“A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown.” – Tom Hanks.

A version of this post originally appeared on HOPE.

The Mighty is asking its readers the following: Describe the moment a stranger — or someone you don’t know very well — showed you or a loved one incredible love. If you’d like to participate, please send a blog post to community@themighty.com. Please include a photo for the piece, a photo of yourself and 1-2 sentence bio.

Veteran Saves Dog, Gets Arrested, Woman Endangers Dog, Gets Ticket?

Army veteran arrested after smashing window, saving dog from hot car
Associated Press
Published May 12, 2015

ATHENS, Ga. – A Georgia man who saved a dog from a hot Mustang has been arrested for smashing a window to free the animal.

Multiple news outlets report that Michael Hammons of Athens was charged with criminal trespassing after freeing a small Pomeranian mix in distress from a hot car outside a store.

Witnesses say that while a group of shoppers waited for police to arrive to free the dog, the Army veteran smashed the window.
read more here

Dying Marine Veteran Gets Last Wish to Hug a Tank

Marines honor veteran's dying wish to hug a tank
Marines Corps Times
By Derrick Perkins, Staff Writer
January 3, 2015

Kenneth White, a Marine veteran from Las Vegas, got his dying wish in December. Marines
aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., let him hug a tank.
(Photo: Lance Cpl. Medina Ayala-Lo/Marine Corps)

An ailing Kenneth White had a final, dying wish: He wanted to hug a tank.

The nearly 80-year-old former tanker, suffering from stage five kidney disease among myriad other health issues, spent 17 years in the Corps with the 4th Tank Battalion. During that time, he served on three different types of tanks — Shermans, Pershings and M48 Pattons — and never lost his love of armor.

So when tankers with the 1st Tank Battalion aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, heard of his last request, they were more than happy to oblige. Getting a request to hug a tank is unusual, but White's sentiments are not, said Sgt. William Milline, a tank crewman who was among the Marines to greet the elderly man and his wife, Carol White.

"From even the schoolhouse to your last day with the tank, it feels as though that's a part of you now," he said, describing what tankers call "The Beast." "It becomes your house, it becomes your weapon; something to ride on, something you're going to have that bond with for the rest of your life."

Despite needing a walker and being weighed down by an oxygen tank, White picked up steam as he approached the first M1A1 Abrams, said Gunnery Sgt. Paul Acevedo, who led the tour. It wasn't long before he was swapping stories with his present-day peers.

"One tanker to the next, the stories really don't change ­­— just the times, the era," Acevedo said.
read more here

Tiny Missouri Church Builds Future for Homeless Veteran

Church Mission Committee Builds Tiny Home for Veteran 
By Karen Butterfield,
Missourian Staff Writer
December 31, 2014

Work Continues on Tiny House Life Stream Church Missions Committee member Louis Todd worked to install locks on a tiny home the committee is building for an area veteran in need. Also shown is Louis Day, committee member. The veteran has been living in substandard housing with no utilities. The home is 12 by 24 feet. Committee members began the project in September and expect to finish the project in January. Submitted Photo.

Life Stream Church’s (LSC) Missions Committee, Washington, is working toward building a “tiny house” for an area veteran in need. Tiny houses are being built across the American landscape to make a better life for homeless veterans and people who cannot earn enough to keep up with the rising cost of utilities and living expenses.

“Our LSC missions project is enabling a veteran who has lived ‘off the grid’ in substandard housing and tents without utilities, to be able to have the comforts of warmth and electricity and the assistance of solar power to reduce energy costs,” said Pat Todd, the LSC missions committee member.

“The joy that emanated from his face when he realized he could lift his arms above his head and also look out a secure window to see God’s creation while sunlight flooded the tiny house was life-changing for us,” she added.

The 62-year-old Vietnam veteran had been living without utilities in substandard or no housing for 26 years, Todd said. She didn’t want to reveal the man’s name. After the war, the veteran had purchased land in the Sullivan area planning to build a home, however; he could never meet county building codes.
read more here

Veteran Pays Electric Bills for Strangers to Honor Wife

Man offers to pay strangers' electric bills

Click link to see video. Embed not working right now.
Not the first time something like this happened.
Former Homeless Vet Pays Community Members' Power Bills for Holidays
STOCKBRIDGE, Ga., Dec. 6, 2012
By BETH LOYD
Producer
via GOOD MORNING AMERICA

A year ago, Curtis Butler, III was homeless and sleeping in his car. He attempted suicide twice. This week, he is giving money to those less fortunate.

Butler, 45, is a two-tour veteran of the Iraq war who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. When he returned home with his disability, he was initially denied benefits and he fell on hard times. He lost contact with his children. He had no home, no money and no hope. Twice, he overdosed on pills and alcohol.

"I figured nobody cared about me," Butler told ABC News. "I had to worry about paying bills. I didn't love myself or anyone else."

But Butler finally did get his benefits and turned his life around. On Monday, he made the holidays a little bit easier for two dozen strangers. Butler was standing in line at a Georgia Power office waiting to pay his utility bill. He heard another customer talking about how difficult it had been to make ends meet. He paid that couple's $230 bill and then kept going. When he was finished, he had doled out $2,000 to pay power bills for 20 people.

"This was the anniversary of me being homeless and now I am putting smiles on other people's faces," Butler told ABC News.
read more here


More ABC News Videos | ABC World News

Fort Bragg Reservist Gives Christmas Miracle to Vietnam Veteran

Facebook plea brings strangers to aid of Vietnam veteran near Fort Bragg
Fay Observer
By Amanda Dolasinski Staff writer
December 23, 2014

Staff photos by Abbi O'Leary

More than 50 soldiers and other volunteers turned out Sunday to help clear land and build a home for Vietnam War veteran Donald Lee, who had been living in an old camper without heat. 

CAMERON - Vietnam War veteran Donald Lee wobbled around with a cane as the sound of axes chopping wood and chain saws taking down trees echoed throughout his 5-acre property.

He occasionally stopped to pet one of his many rescue dogs or to hug one of the soldiers who arrived to join the others already at work.

"This is a Christmas miracle," he said, taking it all in. "In 40 some years, one thing about the military that hasn't changed, brothers and sisters take care of each other."

By 10 a.m. Sunday, more than 50 volunteers - mostly soldiers and strangers who had never met Lee - were sprawled across his property clearing trees and debris to build him a new home.

Lee left the Army in 1975. But the experiences he endured stuck with him and drove him to alcohol.

He shut the world out and found tranquility alone in the camper on his property.

He started to clean up his life in 1999 and has been sober since, he said.

He continued to struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder until friend Amanda Pavone came into his life.

"She kicked me in the butt till I was ready to live again," he said. "I needed it."

Lee met Pavone, a soldier with a Reserve unit, a few months ago through a group that pairs soldiers dealing with PTSD. At first, Pavone was running to get groceries and dog food for Lee and his 12 rescue dogs.

She soon realized that he was living in a small camper off Page Store Road in Cameron that had no running water, heat or even a front door.
read more here

Fort Lee Hardee's Lunch Angel is Chief Warrant Officer Jason Sibley

What this Iraq War veteran did at Hardee’s will melt your heart
CBS 6
BY WAYNE COVIL
DECEMBER 23, 2014

“I really didn’t feel as if I had done anything, that I believe most people would do,” Sibley said.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jason Sibley

FORT LEE, Va. — We now know the name of the mystery soldier whose act of kindness at a Petersburg Hardee’s went viral last week.

The tale began when a stranger sat and watched the Iraq War veteran buy lunch for a woman he met outside the restaurant on Tuesday.

As one of the people inside the restaurant was leaving, he asked to snap a picture of the soldier and the woman he bought lunch for.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jason Sibley, a husband, father of three with 16 years of service in the Army, said it all started when he left Fort Lee a quick lunch at a nearby Hardee’s.

“I was going to lunch at Hardee’s and as I came in, a lady approached me and asked if I would buy her a meal. And I said, ‘Yes,'” Sibley told CBS 6 News senior reporter Wayne Covil. “I asked her if she wanted to sit down, our meal would probably come together [and] if she wanted to have lunch together.”
read more here

Thursday, December 18, 2014
Soldier Fed Hungry Woman and Sat with Her a While

1,200 Fort Carson soldiers volunteered for needy in Colorado

Local Soldiers on a special ruck march Friday morning
KOAA News
By Joanna Wise
December 12, 2014

COLORADO SPRINGS
UPDATE: Fort Carson says more than 1,200 soldiers volunteered for the event, a record-setting number.

Hundreds of Fort Carson soldiers are going the extra mile, marching through downtown Colorado Springs for a good cause Friday morning.

The 5th annual 1st SCBT's Operation Holiday kicked off at Dorchester Park on South Nevada Avenue. More than 500 soldiers from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, donated clothing and canned goods to people in need this holiday season.

They stuffed their rucksacks with the items and then marched from the park to the soup kitchen. The departure time was set for 7:00 a.m.

The soldiers trekked across Pikes Peak Greenway Trail to Bijou Street and were expected to arrive at the Marian House around 7:30 a.m.

Rochelle Schlortt, spokesperson for the Marian House, said the event always has a huge impact.
read more here

Veteran Glad to Thank Marine After Searching for Him

Local 2 viewer helps reunite veteran, Marine
Click2Houston
Author: Jennifer Bauer, Reporter
Published On: Sep 24 2014

HOUSTON
After a story Local 2 aired Tuesday night where a veteran wanted to find a Marine who saved his life, that reunion was made possible by a Local 2 viewer.

Grace Horner contacted the TV station.

“My family and I were watching TV and we watched your report,” she said.

Horner is a U.S. Navy veteran who works at Ellington Field. She used her military resources and started making phone calls.

"I did everything I could to find him and this morning I got a call back from his battalion leader. He said, 'Sure enough, this is who you’re looking for,'" she said.

The Marine’s name is Wade Bracken. He’s a 28-year-old active-duty Marine stationed at Ellington Field. He had been at Hobby Airport last week picking up a fellow Marine when he spotted Jim Babb in distress.
read more here

Cops push disabled Vietnam veteran and get rewarded for it!

They pushed his 300 pound scooter over two miles!

Officers go beyond call of duty for Vietnam veteran
They pushed him in his scooter all the way home
10 News
Preston Phillips
May 28, 2014

SAN DIEGO - Two San Diego police officers are being commended for going above the call of duty.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, they pushed a Vietnam veteran nearly two miles to his home after his power scooter broke down on a busy road.

Both officers work out of the San Diego Police Department's Eastern division office off of Aero Drive in Serra Mesa, and neither one gave what they did Sunday a second thought.

"The least I could do was push him, you know. That's the least I could do. He's sacrificed and given so much to this country," said SDPD Officer Milo Shields.

It was not what Vietnam veteran Gil Larocque was expecting to happen when his power scooter stopped working along busy Clairemont Mesa Boulevard on the day before Memorial Day.

"You wouldn't expect them to do something like that … put you all the way home," said Larocque.
read more here

Remembering Nancy Malloy

There are average people all over the world, doing whatever they can to make lives better. As the saying goes, "and the world is better for them having lived." They don't have a PR campaign and don't do photo shoots very well. They don't mind getting dirty, enduring hardships the rest of us would complain about too easily. They don't mind suffering because at the end of the day, they know they made a difference. No matter how small it may seem to some, they changed someone's life and it was all worth it.

I was just sent a link to the story of a nurse killed while serving with the Red Cross out of Canada. Nancy Malloy was just such a person.

Remembering Nancy Malloy
Canada Museum of Health Care
by Museum of Health Care
Posted on December 16, 2011

Nancy worked with the Canadian Red Cross for nine years, completing missions in Ethiopia (1990), Kuwait (1991), Belgrade (1993), and Zaire (1995) before arriving in Chechnya in 1996. Acting as medical and hospital administrator on these missions, among other titles, Malloy played a key role in facilitating the provision of medical care in areas rife with warfare and violence.

With a freshly signed peace treaty between Russia and Chechnya, Chechnya remained fraught with tension after two years of warfare when Nancy Malloy arrived at the hospital at Novye Atagi, approximately twenty-five kilometers south of the capital of Grozny. Aid workers lived in an almost constant state of stress, as the political situation remained uncertain.

Early in the morning of 17 December 1996 a group of armed men entered the hospital compound at Novye Atagi and made their way into the sleeping quarters of the international workers, where they shot and killed six Red Cross workers and wounded a seventh before fleeing. Nancy Malloy of Canada, Ingeborg Foss and Gunnhild Myklebust of Norway, Sheryl Thayer of New Zealand, Fernanda Calado of Spain, and Hans Elkerbout of the Netherlands died. Christophe Hensch, of Switzerland, recovered from his wounds. The Red Cross withdrew its remaining international workers from the hospital shortly thereafter.
click link above for more.